Organ culture of adult cockroach CNS: ultrastructural and physiological characteristics.

The abdominal nerve cord of adult Periplaneta americana has been maintained in culture for up to 5 weeks. The ultrastructural appearance of in vitro cords resembles that of in vivo cords although some degeneration of glia may occur during the first 2 weeks in culture. The glial cells most affected are those which make up the perineurium. The blood-brain barrier, formed by the perineurium in vivo, breaks down in vitro. Despite this, normal action potentials were recorded from giant axons in 1 month old cultured connectives.